Bend, OR – According to the statement, the Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division has named Mihnea Moga as Prosecutor of the Year for 2023. Moga, formerly a Deputy District Attorney for Columbia County, was recognized during a ceremony at the Oregon District Attorney Association Summer Conference in Seaside earlier this month. The Oregon Hunters Association presented him with a framed wildlife print to mark the occasion.

A Willamette University College of Law graduate, Moga has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to Oregon’s natural resources. His legal career has been distinguished by a focus on wildlife conservation, including coursework and expertise in prosecuting poaching cases through unconventional evidence.

One of his notable achievements involved a 2022 case in which he prosecuted three men for poaching five sturgeon in Scappoose Bay. The incident came to light after two teenagers reported the illegal activity via the Turn In Poachers (TIP) Line. These young witnesses observed the suspects catching and keeping sturgeon in the popular waterway.

Following several days of surveillance, OSP Fish and Wildlife Senior Trooper Justin Morgan and Trooper Scott Bernardi approached the suspects at the dock. Upon inspection, they discovered four large sturgeon, including a female more than seven feet long and estimated to be around 80 years old, along with a five-foot sturgeon in the boat. All of the fish were still alive and were successfully released back into the bay.